1. Field of the Invention
This invention is found in a method and apparatus for treating wounds of a person, in particular, for treating wounds located on extremities or highly contoured, non-planar surfaces of the person.
2. Description of Related Art
In order to prevent or limit infection and shorten the healing process, wounds are commonly covered with sterile bandages. The bandages include gauze that may be held in place over a wound with adhesive tape or other binding means. As noted in a prior, commonly assigned patent, U.S. Pat. No. 5,817,145, gauze bandages have several limitations. First, the gauze bandages do not fully isolate the wound from the surrounding environment and the gauze may adhere to the wound, lengthening the healing process. In addition, the bandages do not thermally regulate the wound environment.
In order to overcome these limitations and others of the prior art, U.S. Pat. No. 5,817,145 teaches a wound treatment device that treats a wound without contacting it. The device includes at least three elements: a wound attachment portion, a standoff portion, and a transition portion. This patent is incorporated by reference for its teachings of such a wound treatment device. The wound attachment portion forms a first plane that is received on the person's skin and includes an adhesive portion for adhering to the person's skin about a wound. The standoff portion defines a second plane above the wound and includes an opening between the first and second planes. The transition portion covers the opening at the second plane, thereby forming a wound treatment volume, connects the attachment portion to the standoff portion and enables the attachment portion to move in conjunction with movement of a person. As described in the '145 patent, each portion is flexible to accommodate movement. While the described wound treatment device is suitable for treating wounds on non-planar surfaces of the person, e.g., the extremities of the person, there may be some highly contoured body portions where its effectiveness might be compromised. Thus, the need exists for a wound treatment apparatus and method for treating wounds located on highly contoured, non-planar surfaces of a person.